Page 14 of Always With You

“You still haven’t met her. You don’t even know what kind of a person she is!” The words throb with objection.

“It is the only way to make Grandpa happy and give him something in return for all that he has done for me.”

“That’s too great a sacrifice on your end.”

I fist my palms into a ball. “It’s a sacrifice which I am happy to make.”

“Still… marrying someone you don’t know?” Akshay is not keen to let it drop.

“I am aware.” I agree with a grunt. “Marriage is the last thing I would choose for myself. But right now, this seems to be what I am bound to do.”

“And you will continue with your affairs, will you?” he points out.

“I am not changing my lifestyle for anyone.”

“That will surely make your would-be wife mad. And maybe she will leave your sorry ass.” A gruff laugh reaches my ears.

I shrug my shoulders as a smirk forms on my lips. “That’s too dramatic but yes my end plan is to get divorced.”

“Just tread carefully… Ahhh… In the process, you should not be the one who gets hurt.” He taps his fingers on the table as he fumbles, “I mean, what if you happen to fall in love with your wife?”

I stare at him for a couple of seconds before I burst out. “Did you say ‘love’? I thought you knew me better. You do know love and I don’t go in the same statement. This marriage means nothing to me. It’s merely a means to an end that I must learn to tolerate till the time I don’t find a way out.”

“Haven’t you heard love is like the weather that hits us when we least expect it?” The way his eyebrows wiggle, makes me grunt and all I can do is roll my eyes.

“Can you spare me your philosophy? I need to make an appearance at my grandpa’s house.”

“Okay, give me a call, and let me know how it went,” he says as he pays the bill.

Walking out of the pub, we bid bye and get into our respective cars. I pull my car out of the parking lot and head to face the unsought sitch.

???

As I walk through the front door of my grandpa’s house, I feel nostalgic. I spent almost my entire childhood growing up and building fond memories in this house. But today, I don’t know what does this place has in store for me. Regardless of whether this is good or bad, this will always be the most wonderful place for me.

Stepping into the living room, I notice the man on the couch, who looks like he’s in his late fifties. He is dressed in a suit. When he notices me entering the room, he doesn’t smile at me; instead, he has his stern eyes on me.Gosh!I am taken aback and don’t know what to make of it. To divert my mind, I move my eyes to the woman who looks a bit younger than him. She is dressed in a lightweight yellow saree, looking classy. Unlike the man, she sends a warm smile my way.

And when my eyes sweep past them to the girl beside them, my breath hitches. She is gorgeous! I need to greet my grandpa but I can’t seem to take my eyes off her. Her chocolate brown hair runs all the way down to her breasts. And those soft, hazel brown eyes enhance her attractive yet angelic features, accompanied by her supple rosy pink lips and flawless skin. My eyes drink in her attire and approve of the way the black jumpsuit is hugging her generous curves.

‘She looksdifferentthan I thought; rather, so pretty!’My conscious pokes but I push the thought away. Maybe it’s the liquor talking.

“There comes my grandson, Ranveer,” Grandpa calls out as I approach him.

Giving him a slight hug, I take my seat beside him.

“Ranveer, that’s Alisha and her parents,” Grandpa introduces us.

I nod my head to greet them butAlisha’s dad continues to watch me, his all-knowing eyes assessing and dissecting me. I can feel his questions rolling off him in waves as his eyes burn into me.

An uneasiness creeps in, and I let my gaze scan the room when our eyes meet. She quickly averts her face, but I keep staring at her. It’s as if my eyes have a brain of their own and refuse to leave her face.I wonderhow an innocent-lookingpersonlike her can beso clever in brainwashing mygrandpaintomarrying me. Just how?Looks can bedeceiving, and she is a fine example of that. Maybe she is not that innocent. I mean, all this time, my grandpa didn’t bring up anything about marriage, and all of a sudden, he’s threatening me to marry her!? That’s hard to digest.With great effort, I turn my face to the other side.

No one utters a word. It’s only after a few minutes when Alisha’s dad clears his throat and speaks.

“So, what is your opinion about this marriage?”

I want to tell him that it’s something I am not interested in; instead, I find myself saying, “I am not against the idea.”

“But the question here is, can I trust you to keep my daughter happy, given your… lifestyle?” he demands, his raised eyebrows casting more doubt on me than I can tolerate.

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